Danny Brown - 'uknowhatimsayin¿'

Danny Brown - 'uknowhatimsayin¿'

US rapper confronts his critics on fifth full-length

8/10

Over the years, Danny Brown has made an exceptional career from being the oddball outcast of the hip-hop scene. With a distinctive voice and flow, his last studio album 'Atrocity Exhibition' saw him sign to the always irreverent Warp Records and deliver one of the most outrageous and truly unique rap records of all time. But while that release was more about Brown pushing his own capabilities and capacity as an artist, this new collection 'uknowhatimsayin¿' looks to focus more on making himself more accessible while at the same time mocking the effort as a clear attempt to quell some of his more outlandish ideas.

The name itself 'uknowhatimsayin¿' is intended to be a retort to many of his so-called fans who say that they love him but can never make out what he is saying. So instead of continuing that individual identity, he has added more diction to his voice but also used it as a method to highlight his own frustrations about modern hip-hop. Originally described as his "comedy" album, this new record is more about exposing the vapid and hallow self-reflection that modern rap music seems to have invited into its fold, mixing smooth and retro beats with a sharp-tongued individual who manages to hit the mark, no mater how his voice sounds.

Teaming up with his usual collaborators such as Run The Jewels, Blood Orange and producer Q-Tip, 'uknowhatimsayin¿' is the punchline to a joke that Danny Brown is making about the state of hip-hop today. Serious in its execution but comical in its content, he is continuing the push the expectation we have of him, while remaining deliberating reined in more than ever, showcasing exactly how progressive he can be.